Lake District National Park

Written on 3:09 AM by Reethi

Hadrian's Wall: Visit the “World Heritage Sight” while you’re at Lake District. Testimony to one of the greatest monuments dedicated to power, Hadrian’s Wall was built almost 2000 years ago by Roman Emperor Hadrianus. The wall stretches from the River Tyne in the east to Solway Firth in the west, spanning 73 miles. Hadrianus built this wall to mark his empire, its northern boundary and also to “separate Barbarians from Romans”. Wildly evocative, you can catch a glimpse of the remnants of the wall and visit Housesteads Fort as well.

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway: Don’t miss the chance of a lifetime to travel through time on the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway. To the delight of railway preservation enthusiasts, this 3.5 mile stretch of the line was re-started for passengers in May 1973 after much persuasion with the British Rail Property Board. Initially this Furness Railway line ferried passengers and freight from Lakeside to Ulverston and Barrow-in-Furness. However it was closed down in 1967. Today, the services runs from April till October end and takes 15 minutes to reach Lakeside from Haverthwaite. It is a bustling terminus with locomotives being serviced. You will sight diesel and steam engines, steamrollers and old army vehicles as well. You can even take the pleasure boat rides from Lakeside to Waterhead (Ambleside) and Bowness because the timings are linked to arrival of the train. While buying you train ticket, you can buy the cruise ticket as well.

Lake Windermere: Lake Windermere is the most popular lake in the district and attracts hoardes of tourists in summer. A typical tourist town, Windermere is a busy town and just like the lake by its name, the town is popular destination as well. Few tourists prefer Keswick for its ambience.

Furness Abbey: What remains of the Furness Abbey is the soaring red sand stone ruins from the 700 years old Cistercian church and monastery. Located in a peaceful valley, close to Barrow-in-Furness, the Abbey is close to the coast. An off-beat abbey on the southwest of Lake district, you might find yourself exploring the ruins all by yourself!

Coniston - John Ruskin's House: Noted Victorian John Ruskin’s home overlooks the lake to Coniston village and the peak the Old Man of Coniston. He lived here from 1872 till his death in 1900. It is open for public everyday in mid-March to mid-November between 11 am and 5-30 pm and every day mid November to mid-March from 11 am to 4-30 pm, Wednesday to Sunday. It remains closed on 25th and 26th December. Located on Brantwood on the eastern shore of Coniston Water, his home is replete with his paintings and drawings. You can dwell in the huge gardens which offer floral delights. Ruskin is buried at St. Andrew’s Church in Coniston cillage following his family’s refusal to offer him a grae at Westminster Abbey. Ruskin wrote in 1878 "I raise my eyes to these Coniston Fells (hills), and see them, at this moment imaged in their lake, in quietly reversed and perfect similitude, the sky cloudless above them, cloudless beneath, and two level lines of blue vapour drawn across their sunlighted and russet moorlands, like an azure fesse."

Wast Water: The most awe-inspiring of all lakes, Wast Water, England’s deepest lake looks great on a clear, sunny day. Also England’s deepest lake at 258 feet, this 3 mile long and ½ mile wide lake is surrounded by Lingmell, Kirkfell and Great Gable. An absolute delight for walkers or climbers! However if the weather doesn’t favor Wast Water, you cannot catch the picturesque sights here. Not-to-be missed is the 1500 feet deep vertical scree wall on Wast Water’s south shore, which is crumbling, yet draws your eyes! You can also take the panoramic road from the north shore of this lake, Nether Wasdale in the west to Wasdale head in the east.

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Lake District National Park

Written on 8:23 PM by Reethi

This is my first post on England's favorite destinations. Over the days i will share with you snapshots, travel tips and details of places you've been looking out for. I'm starting out with Lake District National Park, 3,500 kilometres of rights of way and 12 of the largest lakes in England, you can walk to your hearts content or even enjoy the stillness of this beautiful lake district.

Kirkby Lonsdale: The quaint riverside town of Kirkby Lonsdale is home to a renowned Norman Church in Cumbria. Come weekend and Devils Bridge over the River Lune turns into a hub of activity with people all around and the roar of the bike engines as bikers flaunt their bikes.

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway: The Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, a 15 inch [38m] narrow gauge line today was originally a larger gauge 3 ft [91cm]. It operates everyday between April and October and select days during other months, check the website for further details. The line was set up way back in 1873, it was used to transfer iron-ore to Ravenglass from Boot village in Eskdale. However it was shut in 1913 because of decreased passenger traffic in summer and demand for iron ore mined here. In 1915, model-maker Wynne Bassett-Lowke and R P Mitchell required a line to test their model steam locomotives, for which they re-gauged this line to the current 15 inch and re-started it in 1917. The line almost closed down again in 1953 after the iron ore quarries closed. But railway enthusiasts with financial backing saved the line which is known to locals as ' La'al Ratty ' - Cumbrian dialect for ' little narrow way '. The 7 mile journey from Ravenglass to Dalegarth takes 45 minutes. Crossing marshland and deep woods you can catch a glimpse of the Scafell range as well. Alight at Dalegarth and go around Eskdale. You can even visit the Roman bath House which shows remains of an early day and the Roman occupation here or the railway museum at the Ravenglass end which houses photographs of the history of the historical line.

Kirkstone Pass: The view from the top of the Kirkstone pass, overlooking Coniston and Windermere is strikingly beautiful. The pass remains closed during winter in the instance of heavy snowfall. Extending from Bowness on Widermere up to Ullswater, the pass makes it way by Brotherswater and Patterdale and finally reaches Glenridding.

Aira Force: This place was Wordswoth’s haunt and inspiration for two of his poems; The Somnambulist and Airey Force. Today it belongs to the National Trust, all of 750 acres of Gowbarrow Park and the fall, bought when the land was in danger of being sold off. You need to pay to park here, except in case of membership. Café and toilets are available as well. You can take a leisurely walk up and around the river. Although the fall is easy you need to careful while you reach the steps, particularly the steep ones which are slippery. Waterproof footwear is highly recommended because drips from the trees fall down harder than rain. Set against a backdrop of amazing woods including ash, yew, oak, pines, beech, hawthorn and many more trees, this magnificient Victorian landscaped park is an unforgettable sight! Nature seems to play with colors as it contrasts the green color from the trees, dark black of the flowing water and grey from the rocks. There are three bridges here, you can look at the 69 foot glorious waterfall from the lower, upper bridge and maybe even get wet when the waterfall is in full glory. You surely don’t want to be drowned here! The two upper bridges were built in memory of the Sprigrice brothers from Watermillock. One of them died in the Boer War and the other in 1918.

More to follow....

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European Odyssey

Written on 7:24 AM by Reethi

There are photographs....And then there are memories...

--Reethi

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The Grandeur Of The Mysore Dasara

Written on 6:53 AM by Reethi

The 10-day grand Dasara festivities began today in this historic town with lighting of a lamp and special puja to Goddess Chamundeswari, the main deity, atop the Chamundi Hills in Mysore. Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar, the scion of the Mysore Royal Family, performed a puja inside the palace premises earlier today. He would also observe religious chores as laid down by the texts and ascend the priceless golden throne on the occasion.

To celebrate the ten-day festival with all its traditional glory and splendour, the state government has released Rs 10 crore for the grand event.

More About Mysore Dasara: Dasara is the Nadahabba (state-festival) of the state of Karnataka. It is also called as Navaratri (Nava-ratri = nine-nights) and is a 10-day festival with the last day being Vijayadashami, the most auspicious day of Dasara. Dasara usually falls in the month of September or October. According to a legend, Vijayadashami denotes the victory of truth over evil and was the day when the Hindu Goddess Chamundeshwari killed the demon Mahishasura. Mahishasura is the demon from whose name; the name Mysore has been derived. The city of Mysore has a long tradition of celebrating the Dasara festival and the festivities here are an elaborate affair and attract a large audience including foreigners.

Visitors Guide to Mysore Dasara:

Hotel / Resort Names Phone Nos.
Dasaprakash Paradise 2410366
Hotel Maharaja 2426665
Metropole 5255566
Lalitha Mahal Palace 2470470
Mayura Hoysala 2525349
Mayura Yatrinivas 2423492
Dasaprakash 2444455
Mysore Hotel Complex 2426217
Nalpad 2491117
Ramanashree 2522202
Roopa 2443770
Roost 2410077
Royal Inn 2415132
Sandesh de Prince 2436777
Sree Guru Residency 5269111
Siddhartha 2522999
Southern Star 2426426
The Green Hotel 2512536
President 2425111
Olive Garden 2432729

What to See At Mysore:

Temples

The Chamundeswari Temple, atop the hill of Chamundi, is of great religious significance. It is dedicated to the Goddess Chamundi or Durga, who killed the demon king. This temple earlier was a small one, but later was expanded under the Wodeyar rule. It displays Dravidian influence in some of its architecture. It is quadrangular in shape, and there is a statue of the Lord Ganesha on the doorway.

The Mahabaleshwar Temple, which is said to be older than the Chamundeswari Temple, which somehow lost its importance with the latter gaining significance. Inside this temple you can see images and statues which have been built in the styles of Hoysala, Ganga and Chola art.

The Prasanna Krishnaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Krishna, and built by a Wodeyar ruler, dates back to the 18th century. The temple is home to as many 40 bronze statues of gods and saints. One can also see the statue of the ruler who built this temple. Another very old temple is the Lakshmiramana Swamy Temple, which is home to the presiding deity Nambinarayana, said to be one of the forms of Lord Vishnu. It is located inside the Palace. The temple also has enshrined the Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Venugopala.


The Trinesvaraswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and located in the Mysore fort's north east end, is yet another temple to visit. It has been built after the Dravidian style and belongs to a time much before the rule of Raja Wodeyar.There are many other temples that you can visit like the Gayathri Temple, Someswara Temple, Kodi Bhairava Temple and the Bhuvaneshwari Temple.

Palaces

Mysore is known as the City of Palaces. Having been the Capital of Karnataka before it shifted to Bangalore, a large many royal families ruled here. Out of the many palaces built, those from the Wodeyar Dynasty are said to be quite noteworthy. The Mysore Palace is said to be the most magnificent and looks even more captivating on festive nights when it is lit up with as many as 97,000 light bulbs. Located in the city's centre, this is said to be the fourth one that stands there on the very same site.

This Palace is also called the Main Palace or the Amba Vilasa Palace , and it has drawn influences from Dravidian, Oriental, Roman and Indo-Saracenic architectural styles and is a three storeyed structure made of grey granite. You enter this palace through a Doll's Pavilion called Gombe Thotti, which is home to dolls from the 19th and 20th centuries. Another interesting feature is the seven cannons in front of this pavilion which are still used at the beginning and end of the Dusshera festival. The Palace houses 12 temples.

The Jaganmohan Palace is 150 years old and is very much like the Mysore Palace in terms of its beauty. Built in the 18th century, this was initially built in wood, which later got burnt down and was rebuilt. This is the palace where the King Krishnaraja Wodeyar was coronated as well as wed. The Palace is home to the Jayachamarejendra Art Gallery.

The Lalita Mahal Palace is another palace located atop a hill and 11kms from Mysore. This was built during the reign of the King Krishnaraj Wodeyar, mainly as a home to the Viceroy of India. Today it has been converted into a heritage property by the India Tourism Development Corporation.

Museums

The museums talk about the rich cultural past of the city. A museum to visit is the Jayachamarejendra Art Gallery inside the Jaganmohan Palace, which is a reservoir of rare art, artefacts, and paintings. A three-storeyed structure, the ground floor comprises paintings depicting the lineage of the Mysore Kings; the first floor with paintings from artists world over and in India; the second floor, home to many musical instruments; and the third floor once again with a gallery of paintings depicting the Dusshera processions.

The other museums are the Regional Museum of Natural History, Railway Museum and the Folklore Museum.

Other sightseeing:

St. Philomena's Church is said to be one of the oldest churches in India at 200 years old. It was built in 1933 in place of a smaller church that existed there, to cater to the increasing number of Christians in the city, during the reign of King Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV. The church is built in the Gothic style and said to be one of the largest Cathedrals in South Asia. It houses the relic of the saint Philomena, located below the altar.

Brindavan Gardens

This is one of the most popular places visited by people from all over. Located 19kms from Mysore, it is below the Dam of Krishnaraja Sagar, and is known for its dancing fountains that are illuminated and come to life in the evenings.

Mysore Zoo

With a backdrop of the Chamundi hill, and an artificial lake within it, this Zoo is a famous attraction of Mysore. It is more than a century old and was built initially in a part of the Summer Palace by the King Chamaraja Wodeyar, a passionate nature lover. In fact, he also set up the famous Bandipur Wildlife Sanctuary. Later on the zoo was expanded from ten acres to 45 acres, and was thrown open to the public.

Lakes

There are several lakes that are great picnic spots, and also a bird watcher's paradise. The lakes to visit are the Karanji Lake at the foothill of Chamundi, where you can also boat, the Kukkaranahalli Lake and the Lingabudi Lake

Mysore is famous for its silk sarees and sandalwood. You can shop at places like Cauvery Art and Crafts Emporium, and on roads like Ashoka, Sayyaji Rao and Devaraj Urs.

Srirangapattana

This island on the Kaveri was Tipu Sultan's capital. Now it is a nostalgic reminder of Tipu's bravery and his final defeat in the hands of the British. Tipu's Fort lies in ruins around. You can just see remnants of the fortress ramparts, the bathing ghats, dungeons, and the moat.

Some distance away is Tipu's summer palace, which is now a museum of his belongings.

The Sri Ranganatha Temple, the Jami Masjid built by Tipu, and the Church of Abe Dubois, the French scholar who lived there during Tipu's times, are places of worship from three representative religions of India.

Excursions:

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is on a group of six small islands on the River Kaveri, 20km away from Mysore. It was established by Dr. Salim Ali and is a great place for birdwatching or simply enjoying the outdoors.

You could visit the temple of Somnathpur, built in the peak of the Hoysala rule in 1268. It is shaped like a star and has elaborate carvings on its walls. It is 40 km distance from Mysore.

The monolith of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola in Hassan district (93km from Mysore) is a must-see. The gigantic statue of Bahubali or Gomateshwara is carved out of the hill
side and is 17 m high. It draws pilgrims from all over India.

Melkote, 60kms from Mysore, is another place of pilgrimage which is also home to some of oldest rock formations in the earth's history.

The famous Bandipur National Park home to a variety of wildlife is another great place to visit. It is 80 km from Mysore along the Ootacamund highway.

Visit the waterfalls of Bharachukki and Gaganachukki at Shivanasamudra, 85 kms from Mysore.

Tourism Info:

Regional Tourist Information

Old Exhibition Building

Irwin Road,Mysore

Tel: 91-821-2422096 / 91-80-22352828



Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation

Yatrinivas Buildings

J.L.B.Road

Mysore

Tel: 91-821-26352

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Beyond Biking: Our Pilgrimage to Khardungla

Written on 2:47 AM by Mrudula

Passionate bikers rejoice at the mention of the world-famous route from Manali to Leh, leading to Khardungla. Acclaimed as the Highest Motorable Road in the country, the mention of this 18,389 ft summit conjures up fond memories of our 15 day

Mountains are the beginning and the end of all natural scenery - John Ruskin

destination Khardungla jaunt, which four of us Mukund, Pramod, Sri Krishna and me undertook during August 2006, riding high on the Enfield Bullet.
Writing about a trip that seemed to last a lifetime is hard, I’m attempting it anyway. Even the numerous snapshots shot using the best cameras are no comparison to the sights we saw and the stillness of the mountains we dwelled in.
Bangalore-NewDelhi-Kufri-Kasauli-Manali-Kelong-Sarchu-Leh-Mulbek-Kargil-Srinagar-Jammu-NewDelhi-Bangalore, like most pilgrimages the journey is cherished and when you finally reach the destination after battling unpaved, narrow roads and various hardships it’s a divine feeling. The climb up from New Delhi was spectacular, terrifying in a few places. It started raining as soon as we began our ascent upwards; soon after we left Shimla and the lashing rain whipped us in full fury.
After having sent our bikes to Delhi from Yeshwanthpur railway station, Bangalore, we flew to Delhi on August 4^th 2006. The next day, we headed to Shimla from Delhi. Verdant valleys, steep gorges, splattering rain, misty mountains….the journey to the mighty mountains had finally begun. Once we crossed Narkand and headed to Jalory Pass, visibility dropped and a surreal feeling of riding in the clouds crept in. We encountered a bike breakdown and to top that the road ahead was shut due to a landslide. We halted at Kasauli that night, although, our initial plan was to reach Mandi. Continuing onward the next day, we reached Kullu and moved ahead to Manali where we halted.
After a day’s break at Manali [which was well used for servicing our bikes and stocking up with sheets, boots, chords and woolen wear] we proceeded towards Leh. The route was dotted with picturesque hamlets including Koksar, Thandi and Keylong. We had to stock up fuel for our journey from Thandi itself, till we reached Leh, as there is no fuel station from Thandi for the next 350 kms. We wanted to reach Jispa, however, it was expected to be crowded with tourists and we chose to halt at Keylong itself.
Leaving the lush green sights at Keylong behind, we moved ahead the next day, hoping to stay at Pang that night. On the way, we encountered various hues of the desert. We crossed Baralacha La and Kellinsar and reached Sarchu, where we stayed that night. Sarchu is located on the border between Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Blessed with the finest landscape, this place remains untouched by change. We decided to stay here for two things, firstly, the chai shop guy promised us to rent a good tent and the secondly, the last Teka (wine shop as referred in this region) of Himachal Pradesh was just opposite to our tent. We had a lot of chai, old monk and finally hot Maggie before we crashed. Three out of four of us didn’t sleep well that night, we were not sure if this was because of the monk inside or the mountain outside.
As the day dawned, we set out, without any clue of this being the toughest yet the best riding day of our trip, crossing the Gatta Loops, ascended the Thangalanga Pass[Second Higest Pass in the World] and rode down to traverse Rumtse, Upse and reached Leh. Breathtaking scenery delighted us, just as the natural inhabitants of this region [predominantly the Ibex].We had all extreme conditions today starting from landslides, rain, hailstorm negotiating thick slush while crossing more plains, and end of the day we had clocked 320kms … my personal best on the mountains. After Manali, Leh was the place we rested for a day. We spent it leisurely to obtain the required permit to visit places in Leh and service our bikes. The next day, I clearly remember as August 13^th was the day we had set out for. We made it to Khardung La, the highest Motorable road in the world, at 5302m [18650 ft]. As we headed back, we savored the beauty of the majestic mountains for one last time and Mukund sang ‘Yaadon Pe Basar Karte Hain’ from ‘Namkeen’ as a befitting finale to a memorable journey.
Bad weather forced us to abandon plans to visit Pang-gong lake after we had returned from Khardung La. We headed to Kargil from Leh on August 15^th, hoping to reach Kargil to celebrate Independence Day. The monastery at Alchi and Lamayaru, on the way to Kargil delighted us with its beauty and simplicity. The rushing waters of the River Indus appeared to be competing with us, as we rode. A flat tyre and bad weather, yet again, forced us to ride in the night, next to the LOC and stay back, this time at Mulbek, around 60 km from Kargil. At daybreak on August 16^th, we left to Kargil. We dwelled on the trying times faced by the Indian army here as we had breakfast before heading to Srinagar. The desert was disappearing behind us and we were approaching green plains. Sonamarg was our first stop where breathtaking scenery seemed to be guarded well by the CRPF jawans. We had to climb down the Maruthi Service Station famed Zozi-la pass to reach Sonamarg. We reached Srinagar at the end of the day. Even the tight security here didn’t stop us from enjoying the panoramic vistas and magnificence of the Dal lake and the Shankaracharya temple.

If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes - Lewis Grizzard

Traders display their wares on the shikaras, kids commute to school on boats, birds fly high around the lake - Who can gauge the turmoil here through this sight? As the sunset that evening, we all knew our trip was drawing to an end. The next day we loaded our bikes and left to Jammu, in a Sumo and then reached Delhi by bus. We were back in Bangalore on August 19^th , enchanted and intrigued….that’s the magic of the Himalayas…you get addicted! The end of every journey is a beginning of another. True, as we were already planning our next trip to the Himalayas.
- Chandan

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